During the first season, cold openings was primarily used as jokes, and writers would pitch for some of these opening jokes for an episode. However, they soon realised there was no real need for them, and was disbanded.

But the original premise for the usage of cold openings did not come from experience, The Simpsons had never had cold openings, and as such, there had to be a more concrete explanation. The purpose originally grew from "Space Pilot 3000", which is the only episode to have a significant cold opening, and particularly an opening that could not have worked as decent as a regular one.[1]

David X. Cohen, however, felt that viewers should receive a sudden wakeup call, that they were watching Futurama, and as such, the show had to start with the opening sequence and the cold opening had to go.[2]

Bender goes through an automatic robot wash, much like a typical car wash, while dancing and singing a modified version of the song "Going Through the Car Wash." After he gets out, however, it starts to rain.

1ACV08: Because tonight's a special night and I want all of you to be alive.[edit]

The crew exit the ship, complaining about their latest delivery. They go to the Professor, intending to quit, but quickly change their minds when the Professor reveals that there is an upcoming company vacation, aboard the Titanic.

1ACV11: It's a little experiment that may well win me the Nobel Prize.[edit]

The Professor explains the latest delivery, taking a crate to his office at "Mars University". Fry kicks the crate and the creature inside shakes the crate. The Professor pulls out a tranquillizer gun and shoots into the crate.

In the year 1999, Fry delivers pizza to a Fox affiliate. The Technician offers Fry a beer and they watch Single Female Lawyer. Fry spills his beer, knocking Fox off the air. 1000 light years away, on Omicron Persei 8, two aliens are watching the program but are infuriated that the show cuts off.

1ACV13: No purchase necessary unless you wish to enter the contest. Odds of winning mathematically insignificant.[edit]

Fry and Bender are watching All My Circuits when a Slurm commericial begins. Slurms MacKenzie explains that someone can win a trip to the Slurm bottling plant by finding the winning bottle cap in a can of Slurm. Fry shakes his can and empties it to find a tooth. He throws the can onto a pile of empty cans and the tooth into a separate pile. He sighs, revealing gaps in his smile.